Search America's historic newspaper pages from 1836-1922 or use the U.S. Newspaper Directory to find information about American newspapers published between 1690-present. Chronicling America is sponsored jointly by the National Endowment for the Humanities external link and the Library of Congress. Learn more

Download & Play

Questions

Newspaper Page Text

TBe ILight
in the
Clearing
A Tala of tha North
Country In th Tima
Of Silas Wright
By
IRVING BACHEI.UEXI
thor of "Ebn Holden." "D'rl and
Au .rrri of the BlMted IleM
-K,eplt UP With Usie," Bto, Et.
(Copyright, 1917, Irring Baebeller)
x rode in silence, thinking of Sally
nd of those beautiful days now reced
?no into the past and of my aunt and
ncle. I had written a letter to them
11 rv' week and one or the other had
e -erP(i it. Between the lines I had
detected the note of loneliness. They
Li told me the small news of the
Y5PCt 11U uaiiuvr auu "UIU"
country
niS it all seemed to me then !
Rodney larue iiciu u"6" new
J m.' John Axtell had been hurt in a
runaway: niy white tnare had got
spavin !
'Hello, mister!"
I started out of my reveries with a
little Jump of surprise. A big, rough-
A Big, Rough Dressed, Bearded Man
Stood in the Middle of the Road
With a Gun on His Shoulder.
dressed, bearded man stood In the mid- '
die of the road with a gun on his
shoulder.
"Where ye goin'?"
"Up to the Van Heusen place."
"Wbere do ye hail from?"
"CoMesMU . - -"On
business lor Judge Westbrookt"
"Yes."
"Frits to serve?"
Tes," I answered with no thought
of my imprudence
"Say, young man, by hokey nettle!
I advise you to turn right around and
go back."
"Why?"
"'Cause If ye try to serve any writs
yH git into trouble."
"That's interesting," I answered. "I
am not seeking a quarrel, but I do
want to see how the people feel about
tne payment of their rents."
"Say mister, look down into that val
ley there," the stranger began. "See
all them houses they're the little
houses o' the poor. See how smooth
the land is? Who built them houses?
Who cleaned that land? Was It Mr.
Livingston? By hokey nettle! I guess
not The men who live there built the
houses an' cleaned the land. We ain't
got nothin' else not a dollar ! It's all
gone tc the landlord. I am for the
men who made every rod o' that land
an' who own not a single rod of it.
tears an' years ago a king gave it to
a man who never cut one tree or laioj
one stone on another. The deeds say
that we must pay a rent o' so many
bushels o' wheat a year but the land is
no good for wheat, an' ain't been for
a hundred years. Why, ye see, mis
ter, a good many things have happened
In three hundred years. The land was
willin' to give wheat then an' a good
Many folks was willin' to be slaves. By
hokey nettle ! they had got used to it.
Kings an' magistrates an' slavery
didn't look so bad to 'em as they do
now. Our brains have changed that's
ghat's the matter same as the soil
has changed. We want to be free like
ether folks in this country. America
has growed up around us but here we
are livin' back in old Holland three
hundred years ago. It don't set good.
We see lots o' people that don't have
to be slaves. They own their land an'
they ain't worked any harder than we
have or been any more savin'. That's
why i say we can't pay tne rents no
ttore an' ye mustn't try to make us.
By hokey nettle ! You'll have trouble
" ye do."
The truth had flashed upon me out
of the words of this simple man. Un
til then I had heard only one side of
the case, if i were to be the servant
of Justice, as Mr. Wright had advised,
hat was I to do? These tenants had
een Grimshawed and were being
Jfimshawed out of ust frults of
elr toil by the feudal chief whose
remote ancestor had been a king's fa
vorite. For half a moment I watched
the wavering needle of my compass
aPdthen: -
"If what you say Is true I think you
we right I said.
"I don't agree with you," said young
Jjatour. "The patroons have a clear
Je to this land. If the tenants don't
Qt to pay the rents they ought to
et out and make way for others."
"f hGre yng man, my name Is
Josiah Curtis," said the stranger. "I
Te in the first house on the rlght
side o' the road. You may tell
e Judge that I won't pay rent no
Ztnot as lonS as 1 Uve and I
nn ait out. either."
"Mr. Latour, you and Purvis may go
on slowly Til overtake you soon," I
said. .
" They went on and left me alone with
Curtis. He was getting excited and I
.wished to allay his fears.
-"Don't let him try to serve -no writs
or there'll be hell to pay In this val
ley," said Curtis..
Tn that case I shall not try to serve
the writs. I don't want to stir up the
neighborhood, but I want to know the
facts. I shall try to see other tenants
and report what they say. It may lead
to a settlement."
We went on together to the top of
the hill near which we had been stand
ing. Far ahead I saw a cloud of dust
but no signs of Latour and Purvis.
They iast have spurred their horses
!nto a run. The fear came to me that
latour would try to serve the writs in
spite of me. They were in his pocKet.
What alfool I had been not to call for
them. My companion saw the -look of
concern in miy face.
"I don't like that young feller," said
Curtisi "He's in fer trouble." -..;
He ran toward his house, which was
only a few rods beyond us, while I
started on in pursuit of the two men
at top speed. Before my horse had
taken a dozen jumps I heard a horn
blowing behind me and its echo in the
hills.' Within a half a moment a -dozen
horns were sounding in the valleys
around me. What a contrast to the
quiet in which we had been- riding was
this pandemonium ' which had broken
loose in the .countryside. A little ahead
I could see men running out of the
fields. My horse had begun to lather,
for the sun was hot. My companions
were far ahead. I could not see the
dust of their heels now. I gave up try
ing to catch them and checked the
speed of . my horse and went on at a
walk. The horns" were still sounding.
Some of them seemed to be miles
away. About twenty rods ahead I saw
three llders In strange costumes come
out of a dooryard and take the road
at a wild gallop In .pursuit of Latour
and Purvis. They had not discovered
me. I kept as calm as I could in the
midst of this excitement.
I passed the house from which the
three riders had just turned into the
road. A number of women and an old
man and three or four children stood
on the porch. They looked at me In
silence as I was passing and then be
gan to hiss and jeer." It gave me a
feeling I have never known since that
day. I jogged along over the brow of
the hill when, at a white, frame house,
I saw the center toward which all the
men of the countryside were coming.
Suddenly I heard the hoof-beats of
a horse behind me. I stopped, and
looking over my shoulder saw a rider
approaching me in the costume of an
Indian chief. A red mask covered his
face. A crest of eagle feathers circled
the edge of his cap. Without a word
he rode on at my side. I knew not
then that he was the man Josiah Cur
tis nor could I at any time have
sworn that it was he.
A crowd had assembled around the
house ahead. I could see a string of
horsemen coming toward It from the
other side. I wondered what was go
ing to happen to me. What a shouting
and jeering In the crowded dooryard!
I could see the smoke of a fire. We
reached the gate. Men in Indian masks
and costumes gathered around us.
"Order ! Sh-sh-sh," was the loud com
mand of the man beside me In whom I
recognized or thought that I did the
voice of Josiah Curtis. "What has
happened?"
"One o' them tried to serve a writ
an we have tarred an' feathered him."
Just then I heard the voice of Pur
vis shouting back in the crowd this
impassioned plea:
."Bart, for God's sake, come here."
I turned to Curtis and said:
"If the gentleman tried to serve the
writ he acted without orders and de
serves what he has got. The other fel
low is simply a hired man who came
along to take care of the horses. He
couldn't tell the difference between a
writ and a hole in the ground."
"Men, you have gone far enough,"
said Curtis. "This mam Is all right.
Bring the other men here and -put 'em
on their horses an' I'll escort 'em out
o' the town." o
They' brought ..Latour on .a rail
amidst roars of laughter. What a bear-
-uo Dactf to yer won? now," euros
shouted, and turning ; to me added :
"You ride along with me and let our
featlujrc-d friends follow us.".
So we started up the road on oui
way hack to CobleskilL Our guld left
us at tne town Bne some three miles
beyond.
Latour was busy picking his arms
and shoulders. -Presently he took off
his feathered coat and threw it away,
saying:
"They'll have to pay for this. Every
one o' those Jackrabblts will have to
settle with me."
"You brought it on yourself," I said.
"You ran away from me and got us all
Into trouble by being too smart. You
tried to' be a fool and' succeeded be
yond your expectation."
It was dark when I left my com
panions in CobleskllJ. I changed my
cjpthes jandhad my supper and found
Judge Westbrook In his home and re
ported the talk with Curtis and our
ajjyfenture ang m view of the situa
tion back in jthe hills. I observed that
he gave the latter a cold welcome.
"I shall send the sheriff and a
posse," he said with a troubled look.
"Pardon me, but I think it will make
a bad matter worse," I answered.
"We must not forget that the pa
troons are our clients," he remarked. .
'I yielded and went on with my work.
In the next week or so I satisfied my
self of the rectitude of my opinions.
Then came the most critical point in
my history a conflict with Thrift and
Pear on one side and Conscience on
the other.
The judge raised my salary- I want
ed the money, but every day I would
have, to lend my help, directly or indi
rectly, to the .prosecution of claims
which I could not believe to be just.
My heart went but of my work. I be
gan to fear mysel For weeks I had
not the courage to take issue with the
learned judge.
One evening I went to his home de
termined to put an end to my unhap
piness. After a little talk I told him
frankly that I thought the patroons
should seek a friendly settlement with
their tenants.
"Why?" he asked.
"Because their position Is unjust.
on-American and untenable,? was my
answer. ' - -
He rose and gave me his hand and
a smile of -forbearance' In considera
tion of my youth, as I took it.
I left much Irritated and spent a
sleepless night in the course of which
I decided to cling to the' ideals of Da
vid Hoffman and Silas Wright.
In the morning I resigned my place
and asked to be relieved as soon as
the convenience of the Judge would
allow it. He tried to keep me with
gentle persuasion and higher pay, but
I was firm. Then I wrote a long letter
to my friend the senator.
Again I had chosen my way and with
due regard to the compass.
They Brought Latour on a Rail Amidst
Roars of Laughter.
like, poultrified, be-poodled object he
was burred and sheathed In rumpled
gray feathers from his hair to his
heels. The sight and smell of him
scared the horses. There were tufts
of feathers over his ears and on his
chin. They had found great joy In
spoiling that aristocratic livery In
which he had arrived.
Then came poor Purvis. They had
just begun to apply the tar and feath
ers to him when Curtis had stopped
the process. He had only a shaking
ruff of long feathers, around his neck.
They lifted the runaways into their
saddles. Purvis started off at a gallop,
shouting "Come on, Bart," but they
stopped him. '
"Don't be in a hurry, young feller!
said one of the Indians, and then there
was another roar of laughter. -
CHAPTER XVI.
. The Man With the Scythe.
It was late in June before I was able
to disengage myself from the work of
the judge's office. Meanwhile there
had been blood shed back in the hills.
One of the sheriff's posse .had been se
verely wounded by a bullet and had
failed to serve the writs. The Judge
had appealed to the governor. 'People
were talking of "the rent war."
What a joy entered my heart when
I was aboard the steamboat, at last,
end on my way to all most dear to me !
As I entered Lake Champlain I con
sulted the map and decided to leave
the boat at Chimney Point to find Kate
Fullerton, who had written to the
schoolmaster from Canterbury. My
aunt had said In a letter that old Kate
was living there and that a great
change had come over her. So I went
ashore and hired a horse of the ferry-
i man.
I passed through Middlebury and
rode Into the grounds of the college,
where the senator had been educated,
and on out to Weybridge to see where
he had lived as a boy. I found the
Wright homestead a comfortable
white house at the head of a- beautiful
valley with wooded hills behind it
and rode up to the door. A white
haired old lady in a black lace- cap
was sitting on its porch looking out
at the sunlit fields.
"Is this where Senator Wright lived
when he was a boy?" I asked.
"Yes, sir." the old lady answered.
I am from Canton."
She rose from her chair.
"You from Canton!" she exclaimed.
'"Why, of all things! That's where my
boy's home is. I'm glad to see you. Go
an' put your horse in the barn."
I dismounted and she came near me.
"Silas Wright is my boy," she said.
"What is your name?"
"Barton Baynes," I answered as I
Pitched my horse.
"Barton Baynes! Why, Silas has
told me all about you In his letters.
He writes to me every week. Come
and sit down."
We sat dowfl together on the porch.
"Silas wrote in his last letter that
you were going to leave your place in
Cobleskill," she continued to my sur
prise. "He said that he was glad you
had decided not to stay."
It was joyful -news to me, for the
senator's silence had worried me and I
had begun to think with alarm of my
future.
"I wislT that he would take you to
Washington to help him. The poor
man has too much to do."
"I should think it a great privilege
to go," I answered.
"My boy likes you," she went on.
"You have been brought up just as he
was. I used to read to him every eve
ning when the candles were lit. How
hard he worked to make a man of him
self 1 I have known the mother's joy.
I can truly say, 'Now let thy servant
depart In peace.'"
" For mine 'eyes have seen thy sal
vation,' " I quoted. -
"Yen see I know much about yon
and much about your aunt and uncle,"
said Mrs. Wright.
She left me for a moment and soon
the whole household was gathered
about me on the porch; the men hav
ing come up from the fields. They put
my horse in the barn and pressed me
to stay for dinner, which I did. As I
was going the gentle old lady gave
me a pair of mittens which her distin-
crntehad son had worn Sntn iq lot-
y
It Looks Like Good Prices Ahead "For
Don't Gamble Your Crop Away
It was never fnore important to local growers to connect up with
a good shipping agency with old established connections
I have never tied to alny one or two houses and the old true and
tried commission merchants with whom I have dealt fpr a num
ber of years are the best on their respective markets.
I have strong, steady and reliable outlets for everything you will
produce this year and believe it will be more than eVer to your
advantage to get in touch with me early.
- . i
. - - .
HERE ARE MY CONNECTIONSYOU CAN'T BETTER 'EM
IEW3YORK CITY
SMITH & HOLDEN, 303 Washington St.
S. H. & E..H. FROST, 3 1 9 Washington St.
OLIVET BROS. Inc., 335 Washington St.
BERNARD ABEL CO., Inc.
Cor. Washington & Duahe Sts.
PHILADELPHIA, PA.
J. P.' WILSON, 116 Dock St.
JAMES SAWYERS &' CO., 222 Dock St.
J. L. CULVER, 114 Dock St.
NEWARK, N.J.
LEVERAGE & BETHARD, 88 Commerce St.
R. C. A
General Forwarding Agent
B
BO
n
Elizabeth City N. C.
winter in college. I remember well
how tenderly she handled them!
"I hope that Silas will get you to
help him" those were the last words
she said to me when I bade her good
by. The shadows were long when I go
to Canterbury. At the head of Its
main street I looked down upon a vil
lage green and some fine old elms. It
was a singularly quiet place. I stopped
In front of a big white meeting house.
An old man was mowing in Its grave
yard near the highway. Slowly he
swung his scythe.
"Do you know where Kate Fullerton
lives?" I asked.
"Well, It's purty likely that I do," he
answered as he stood resting on his,
scath. "I've lived seventy-tW years,
on this hill come the fourteenth day o
June, an If I didn't know where she
lived I'd be 'shamed of it. Do you see
that big house down there fin the
trees?"
I could see the place at which he
pointed far back from the village street
in the valley below us, thehouse near
ly hidden by tall evergreens.
"Ye," I answered.
"Wal, that's the Squire Fullerton
place kes Kate's father."
"Does the squire live there 7'
"No, sir not eggzae'ly. He's dyln'
there been dyln' there for two year
er more. By gosh I It's wonderful how
hard 'tis fer some folks to quit breath
in'. Say, be you any o' his family?"
trDMinlalm Via TVrrrl In avrv rrinA '
That they are dead who fall from gTaee."
A dark shadow fell upon the hous
of my soul and, I heard a loud rapping
at its door which confused me until,
looking out, I saw the strange truth oi
the matter. Rose leaves and blossomi
seemed to be trying to hide It with
their beauty, but in vain.
1 understand," I said.
1 tNo ye don't. Leastways I dont be
lieve ye do not correct. Squire Ful
lerton dug a grave here an had as
empty coffin put into It away back In
1806. It means that he wanted every
body to understan' that his girl wai
jest the same as dead to him an' t
God. Say, he knew all about God'a
wishes that man. Gosh ! " He haj
sent more folks to hell than there art
In It, I guess. Say, mister, do ye kno
why he sent her there?"
I shook my Jxead.
"YIs ye dotoo. It's the same oi
thing that's been sendin' women t
bell ever since the world begun. Y
know hell must 'a' been the invention
of. a man that's sartin an it wai
mostly fer women an' children that'i
sartlnei? an fer all the men thai
. didn't agree with him. Set down hew
an' I'll tell ye the hull story. My day'l
work is done."
We sat down together and he wen1
on as follows: .
"Did ye ever see Kate Fullerton?"
"Yes." . "
GET IN TOUCH WITH
Louis Hanselman
- . ,
FRUITS And PRODUCE
COMMISSION MERCHANTS
i
" 146 Dock St.
PHILADELPHIA, Pa.
REFERENCES Sixth National Bank, Philadelphia; Egg Harbor
Commercial Bank, N. J.; Dunn's and Bradstreet's Commercial
Agencies; Corn Exchange Bank.
'No.
"Nor no friend o his?"
"No!"
(Continued next yreek.)1
"Course not. He never had a friend
In his life too mean! He's too mean
to die, mister too mean fer hell an' I
wouldn't wonder1 honest, I wouldn't
mebbe that's why God is keepin' him
here jest to meller him up a little.
Say, mister, be you In jC hurry?"
"No."
"Say, hitch yer hoss an' come In
here. I want to show ye suthin'.'
I dismounted and hitched my horse
to the fence and followed him Into the
old v churchyard, between weather
stained mossy headstones and graves
overgrown with wild roses. Near the
far end of these thick-sown acres he
stopped.
"Here's where the buryin begun,"
said my guide. "The first hole in the
hill was dug for a Fullerton."
There were many small monuments
and slabs of marble some spotted
with lichens and all in commemoration
of departed Fnllertons.
"Say, look a' that," said my guide ai
.he pulled aside the stem of a leafy
brier red with roses. "Jest read that,
mister."
"Hme-worn words on a slab of etalned
marble:
Sacred to the memory of :
Katherme Fullerton
United States Railroad Administration
NORFOLK SOUTHERN RAILROAD
Passenger Train Schedules Corrected
to February 1, 1919
As information, not guaranteed.
South and West Bound
No. 5 No. 1 No. 3.
Leave
Elia City xlO :03am
Arrive
Eden ton 11:15am
Mackeys
Columbia
Belhaven
Pinetown
Washington
New Bern
Oriental
Mdrehead City
Beaufort
Goldsboro
No.
L.v Elizabeth City
Ar Suffolk
Ar Greenville
Ar Wilson
Ar Raleigh
Ar Charlotte
North
No. 4
xll : 35am xlO : 17pm
12:35pm 11:31pm
1:20pm 12:04am
y 2:40pmyl030am
y 3:O0pmylO:45am
X z:zupm- -.6va.iiii
3:00pm l:55anl
4:35pm 4:00am
7:30pm yl2 :10pm
7 : 45pm xlO :50am
R:05om 11:10am
8:45pm 6:35am
as
y . 11:00am
' 2:20pm
4:01pm, 3:02am
5:35pm 4:45am
7:45pm 7:05am
, 2:45pm
Bound
No. 2 No. 6.
Eliz City x 6:00am 3: 00pm z 3:30pm
Ar Norfolk 8:10am 4:50pm 5:30pm
x Daily '
y Daily except Sunday,
6 Tuesday, TJmrs. and Sat. only.
G. B. UNDERWOOD, Traffic Agt.
v Edenton , N. C.
B S. DOUGLASS Tck. Agt, .
y Elizabeth City, N. C.
yi wy
66 YEARS OF SQUARE DEALING BACK OF OUR
APPEAL FOR YOUR BUSINESS
A. E. Meyer &Co.
Commission Merchants
134-136 PARK PLACE NEW YORK
Established 1853
Members Of The National League of Commission
" Merchants of the United States
THE - INDEPENDENT continues to
do the best job printing.
McKIMMEY BROS. & COMPANY
WHOLESALE COMMISSION MERCHANTS
Poultry, Eggs, and Other Country Produce
No. 33 Roanoke Ave. - - " Norfolk, Va.
I